Drunk Driving Accidents

The severity of your accident, the seriousness of your injuries — these do not depend on whether the other driver was drunk or simply inattentive. What is different about drunk driving accidents is who may have been to blame. Of course, the drunk driver was responsible. However, there is a possibility that you can seek compensation from another responsible party — the one who served the alcohol.

Ohio dram shop law applies to commercial businesses only, not homeowners. It also makes a distinction between injuries sustained on the premises where alcohol is served and injures off the property. The law creates a much higher standard of proof for cases involving injuries sustained in drunk driving accidents.

In a drunk driving case, your person’s lawyer must prove both that the business or its employee had “actual knowledge” that the drinker was obviously intoxicated and also that intoxication was the immediate cause of your injury. This can be very difficult.

It is a bit easier to sue for injuries caused by an intoxicated minor. The burden of proof is somewhat lower in these cases, because your attorney only needs to prove that the alcohol server knew or had reason to know that the drinker was a minor.

Decades of Experience on Your Side

When you have a complicated case, you need a law firm with the resources to investigate the facts, build a strong argument, and effectively present it in court. Dennis Seaman & Associates is one of the largest and most established personal injury law firms in Ohio. With more than a dozen injury attorneys, we have handled a wide variety of car accident cases, including many drunk driving cases.

Protect Your Rights: Free Attorney Consultation

For help from an experienced attorney after a drunk driving accident or fatal DUI-related crash, contact our Cleveland, Ohio, personal injury lawyers to arrange a free consultation.